Manchester United enjoyed a hard-caught win against West Ham (FT 2-1) in the last preseason friendly, which showed us how their side has already made massive improvements. But that being said, there is still a long way to go, and the Manchester Reds face another test in the form of Iralola’s high-flying Bournemouth as the Premier League heavyweights clash in the second match of the new Premier League Summer Series early Thursday morning at Soldier Field in Chicago.
We saw the Cherries get the better of David Moyes’ Everton on a 3-0 scoreline, and they would be a tricky side to play despite Bournemouth losing out on a couple of strong players from their starting lineup this summer window.
That being said, if we are talking about summer signings, Ruben Amorim confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo, who moved to Old Trafford in a high-profile transfer from Brentford, is training with the team but will not be playing tomorrow. Moreover, we will see whether Noussair Mazraoui or Joshua Zirkzee return from their minor injuries.
Predicted Man United lineup vs Bournemouth
Goalkeeper: Tom Heaton
Let’s face it, Bayindir has been underwhelming every time he has featured donning that United badge, and that has led many of the supporters to wonder whether the club would act on his presence at M16 once they get back to the English shores. There is a possibility that he could be sent out on loan or maybe sold.
Tom Heaton, the veteran, is an ever-reliable presence at the back, and he should be starting between the sticks when the team lines up in the tunnel tomorrow.
Defenders: Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire
While there could be a call for Arsenal academy graduate Ayden Heaven, you’d believe that Maguire gets into the side. De Ligt takes up the role down the middle given his physical presence, with Leny Yoro playing the more dynamic role of the three.
There would be a belief that this is the back three that takes the field for United against Arsenal on the opening match day of the Premier League, and it would be a stern test for them to face the Cherries given that they play in a very positional manner, which is quite likethe Gunners.
Midfield: Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dorgu
Amad is more of that winger who defends (in this role), and given how United likes to catch opponents in transitional situations, he should be ideal when carrying is needed. With Yoro behind him, he also has that cover if the winger on the other side is tricky to handle.
With Ugarte and Mainoo down the middle, you get that running power alongside some much-needed tackling ability down the second phase. And on the ball, both of them have different strengths, which balances out particularly well.
Then comes Dorgu; he is someone who always has an attack on his mind. But he is still a bit raw, and these games will be very important for him to get an understanding of the pace and power of the English top tier.
Forward: Bruno, Hojlund, Cunha
We saw how Hojlund got into a few good spaces in the past games, and with Zirkzee still returning from his knock, this could just be the time for the Danish striker to start putting down some consistency in front of the goal and nail his place.
Cunha has looked good in the past two games, and hopefully he can get into goals tomorrow.
Bruno starts on that right channel, and he will be a more inverted option down that channel.
United lineup vs Bournemouth (3-4-3): Heaton; Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire; Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dorgu; Bruno, Hojlund, Cunha.